


The Life of a Singer

by ThePurpleFrog



Category: Dangan Ronpa
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, but not like strip club cabaret singer but like. look at this guy in a suit singer, does that work. yeah, not like brittany spears singer but like sings at bars kind of singer, singer!Ishimaru AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-21
Updated: 2014-04-21
Packaged: 2018-01-20 05:40:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1498723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePurpleFrog/pseuds/ThePurpleFrog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based off of tumblr user Mondobroowada 's singer Ishimaru AU it's basically about Ishimaru being a singer at a bar and he notices Mondo coming every night and decides to befriend him and the two of them slowly fall in love. That's all there is to it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Life of a Singer

Being a singer wasn’t really all it was made out to be. But maybe that was just in Ishimaru’s case. Honestly, he wasn’t sure. Chances are being a full-fledged singer, one who performed in popular venues or in coliseums, one whose name graced the cover of magazines and T-shirts, one who had hordes upon hordes of fans was fun and glamourous. But in Ishimaru’s case, being a singer was a job he could do until he earned enough to go to college and actually do something with his life. It could be worse, he figured. He had food to eat and a place to stay, (well, the backroom at the bar counted, right?), so life could be much, much worse. Still, it was a little disappointing to call himself a singer when all he did was perform at little bars and cafes as background noise, with hardly any returning fans.

However, there was one person he could consider a fan.

One rainy night he was performing as usual at one of the bars. Most of the people were talking to one another; a few were watching him, but with mild interest. Ishimaru couldn’t be mad, really; after all, they came here for drinks and good times with friends. He happened to be something that came with it. As he scanned the crowd, he noticed one person who was staring at him with the utmost interest. He almost let out a gasp when he saw who it was gazing back at him, but he managed to keep his composure and sing the lyrics of his song. 

The person staring back at him was Mondo Oowada. Ishimaru would never forget his name. After all, he had had to write it down a million and a half times on detention slips in high school. It’s not that the two of them hated one another; they just never really got along and never got to know each other. They graduated high school without knowing more about each other than one was a lazy delinquent and the other an annoying hall monitor. Ishimaru spent the rest of the night singing as he had planned, but just couldn’t keep his eyes off of Mondo. It was just so surreal to see him again. 

He figured that Mondo showing up to that bar was a one time thing. But much to his surprise, Mondo began to show up to all of his shows. He would always sit at his table, sipping whatever he was drinking nervously, his eyes always glued to Ishimaru. Ishimaru wasn’t sure if it was because he remembered him, or just because he loved his singing that much. Either way, he didn’t mind having him there. He was his first consistent fan, after all. 

After about a month after Ishimaru noticed Mondo for the first time, he decided to approach him. After his performance, he usually headed out to get something to eat but today he decided he’d talk with his old classmate. He pulled out the empty chair beside Mondo and smiled at him. 

"Do you mind if I sit here?" He asked. He was honestly expecting Mondo to say no, but what he did say surprised him even more. 

"Holy shit!" He stumbled backwards, nearly falling out of his chair. Ishimaru put his hands on Mondo’s legs and pushed his chair back into place. His hands lingered on Mondo’s thighs for a moment too long before he backed off.

What a great reunion this was. 

"So, uh, good evening, Oowada-kun." Ishimaru finally said. 

"Whoa, you remember my name?" Mondo replied, genuinely surprised. 

"Of course I do. I only had to write it on detention slips a million times." Ishimaru replied. 

"Yeah, that’s fair." Mondo replied. For some reason, he kept averting his gaze away from Ishimaru, despite having his eyes glued to him when he was performing. Now that he thought about it, Ishimaru realized Mondo’s face was a little flushed. Perhaps he was a little buzzed? Or maybe it was something else that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

"I’ve noticed you coming to my shows the past couple of weeks." Ishimaru said. 

"Yeah, I live nearby. That’s all." Mondo said, taking a sip from his drink. 

"Alright…" Ishimaru really hadn’t thought this through. Sitting next to Mondo was incredibly awkward. But he was the first familiar face he had seen in ages. He hadn’t really stayed in touch with anyone from high school, so he had jumped on the opportunity to talk with Mondo. Any conversation was nice in comparison to the awful silence he lived in between the time work ended and the time it started over the next day. 

"How the hell did ya end up in a place like this?" Mondo finally asked. 

"What do you mean?" Ishimaru asked. He looked around at the bar. It certainly wasn’t a five-star establishment, but it wasn’t a place that could be called "seedy" either. "There are far worse bars than this."

"I know that. I’ve been to some of ‘em." Mondo said. "It’s just weird is all, seein’ ya here preformin’. Thought you’d be at some big university or somethin’."

"Yeah, me too." Ishimaru replied. That’s what he’d been hoping for, after all. But tuition wasn’t cheap, and he found himself realizing that good grades in high school weren’t enough. Mondo could sense the tension and set his glass down. 

"It’s late. I think I’m gonna head out." He said. "Nice seein’ ya again." He left a little money on the table as a tip, then got up to go. Ishimaru stared at the tip he had left and hesitated. It was a more than generous amount. 

"W-wait, Oowada-kun." Ishimaru said, grabbing Mondo’s arm. 

"Whaddaya want?" Mondo replied, trying to shake Ishimaru off of him.

"I cannot possibly accept this! Please, take it back."

"No, just keep it, will ya?" He said, irritated.

"But why? I didn’t do anything-"

"Ya deserve it because you’re a really great singer, okay?!" Mondo was nearly shouting at this point. "So just keep the goddamn money!" He stormed out, leaving Ishimaru behind him. Oh, Ishimaru thought. That’s why he was so flushed and nervous around me. He likes my singing voice. Ishimaru couldn’t help but be flattered. The most of a compliment he had ever gotten was the polite applause at the end of his performances; he hadn’t ever been told personally by any of them that he was a good singer. He realized that maybe he could try to get to know Mondo better. After all, he seemed much nicer now than he was in high school. He chased Mondo out, and caught him just as he was about to rev up his bike.

"Wait, Oowada-kun!" Ishimaru said. "I have another show tomorrow… will I be seeing you again?"

"Uh…" He looked at Ishimaru’s eager face and found himself unable to say no. "Yeah, of course. It’s a promise." 

* * *

 

After that day, Ishimaru made sure to sit with Mondo after all of his performances. At first, it was a little awkward. After all, the two of them had hardly known each other in high school. But Ishimaru was desperate for a friend and Mondo didn’t seem to mind complying. They slowly eased their way into friendship by talking about everything and anything. They eventually came to the conclusion that, surprisingly, they really weren’t that different after all. They both had things they were passionate about: for Mondo, it was dogs and carpentry and for Ishimaru, it was morals and hard work. They seemed to enjoy each other’s presence well enough, and soon they found themselves looking forward to their meetings. 

"Say, Kiyotaka, ya never did tell me how you ended up here." Mondo said one day. 

"Oh, well…" Ishimaru sighed. "It turns out college tuition is much more expensive than I had thought."

"Well, no shit." Mondo replied, taking a sip of his beer.

"You see we… my family, that is, has never been that well-off. And if I want to achieve my dreams of fixing my family, I’m going to have to go someplace nice. And if I’m going to go someplace nice, I’m going to have to raise the money somehow."

"Makes sense. But why a singer? I never thought that’d be the job for you." 

"I didn’t plan on it. I had gotten a job here washing dishes, and was singing to myself one night after closing up and…" He laughed, a little awkwardly. "It’s embarrassing, really. I was singing to myself and the boss overheard me. He said he liked my voice. Figured I could do something with it. So here I am."

"Do ya hate it or somethin’? Ya don’t sound too enthusiastic about it."

"You know… I’m not sure." Ishimaru said, idly swirling the straw around in his soda. "This isn’t what I wanted to do with my life, and if my parents knew they’d probably be angry… but it also isn’t too terrible. There’s something really satisfying about being up there and… having people listen to me for once. I yelled a lot in high school but did anyone really listen to me? Probably not. But being alone on stage with just me and the microphone… being able to do my own thing… it’s kind of nice." He had gone off on a tangent and completely forgotten that Mondo was right there. "I’m sorry for rambling. That probably bored you to tears."

"N-no, man, it’s cool." Mondo said. He was actually intrigued by Ishimaru’s little monologue. Seeing the ex-hall monitor actually letting loose and being free was kind of… cute. Wait, what? Cute?

"What about you, Mondo? Whatever happened to you?" Ishimaru said, pulling Mondo out of his thoughts. 

"Huh? Nothin’ interestin’, really. Quit the gang after high school and became a carpenter. Figured I might as well start buildin’ stuff since I spent so much time breakin’ stuff." He shrugged. "And that’s it. I’ve got a little workshop a few blocks away. I don’t make much, but it’s somethin’ to do that pays the rent. Pretty boring, huh?" 

"Not at all." Ishimaru responded. "It’s admirable, actually. Being able to go from wrecking to building… doing good for the world… I’m proud of you, Mondo"

"Y-yeah, thanks." He honestly couldn’t remember the last time anyone had told him they were proud of him. 

Before they could continue their conversation, Ishimaru’s boss called him over for a chat. When he returned a few minutes later, he looked a little disheartened, and was holding a small suitcase in his hand. 

"Oy, did somethin’ happen?" Mondo asked. "Don’t tell me ya got fired for hangin’ around with me."

"Of course not." Ishimaru responded. It’s just that they’re fixing up some things, so the back room’s going to be used for storage."

"So what? Isn’t that what the backroom is for?" 

"No. I live there." Ishimaru replied. 

"I’m sorry, what?" He didn’t let ishimaru answer. "Why the fuck do ya live there?"

"Because I didn’t really have anywhere else to go and my boss said I could."

"Ya couldn’t have even stayed with your parents?"

"Of course not. I owe them enough as it is, so overstaying my welcome past eighteen is a disgrace."

"They’re your parents! They’re supposed to let ya in!"

"It’s not that big of a deal, Mondo." Ishimaru stood up. "I should probably find some cheap hotel somewhere."

"Nah, fuck that. You’re stayin’ with me." Mondo said. 

"What? Mondo, I couldn’t possibly impose, I mean-"

"It’s fine. Relax." Mondo said, patting him on the back. "That’s what friends do. Besides, it’s lonely as hell there, so havin’ you around would be great." 

"I…" The thought was almost too good to be true. Staying at a place that didn’t smell of booze with some actual company… it sounded amazing. "Thank you, that sounds wonderful!! I really owe you for this, Mondo, I mean-"

"It’s fine, Ishi. Just calm down, will ya?" Mondo said, ruffling Ishimaru’s hair.  

* * *

 

Living with Mondo was an experience for Ishimaru. 

That first night, Ishimaru didn’t get a wink of sleep. He stayed up the whole night cleaning up Mondo’s house and making sure everything was neat and orderly. He even made sure to make Mondo’s bed after he had gotten up to take a shower. 

The two of them often got into fights over the littlest things. Mondo would leave his clothes lying around, and Ishimaru would yell at him to go clean it up. Ishimaru, on the other hand, would try to cook something for Mondo and end up destroying the kitchen, then insisting Mondo at least  _try_  what he had made. 

But despite their differences, the two of them enjoyed living with one another. Mondo enjoyed night time the most where, after both of them were done with work, they could wind down and watch a movie together, which would usually end up with Ishimaru falling asleep on Mondo’s shoulder. It was kind of cute, Mondo thought. Not that he’d ever say it.

Ishimaru enjoyed the mornings the most where he’d wake up before Mondo so he could wish his friend a good morning after he had gotten out of the shower. He liked the way Mondo’s hair was all poofy and fuzzy in the morning. it was kind of cute, Ishimaru thought. Not that he’d ever say it.

One night, they were watching a movie together. It was some action movie Mondo had picked up. The two of them never watched anything too serious, just silly comedies or unrealistic action films.

"God, get back to the cool shit." Mondo complained, putting his feet up on the coffee table.

"What? You don’t like the romance scenes?" Ishimaru replied. "Feet off the table."

"Yeah, they’re boring as hell." Mondo said. "Also, it’s my house so my rules."

"I think they’re much better than the loud explosions all the time. Also, we split the rent so technically it’s both of our rules." He went to pull Mondo’s legs off of the table, but Mondo grabbed his hands and pinned him down on the couch. 

"Yeah, but I’m stronger." Mondo said. Much to his surprise, Ishimaru didn’t look irritated or uncomfortable. In fact, he looked proud. "What’s that look for?"

"To get me like this, you had to move your feet off the table. So I win.”

"You’re a piece of shit, ya know that?"

"We wouldn’t be having this problem in the first place if you had any manners."

"You’re just as pretentious as ya were in high school!"

"And you’re just as irresponsible!"

"God, shut up!"

"You can’t make me!"

The next thing they knew, they were kissing. Neither of them were exactly sure who had started it. Based on the fact their teeth had bumped, it was safe to say they had both went for it. It didn’t last long; neither of them were experienced kissers, and they soon had to part for air. When they did so, they both looked upon each other in horror.

"Shit, fuck, that was… shit." He muttered, backing away from Ishimaru. His face was flushed bright red and he could feel his heart pounding. He was having a hard time articulating his words. 

"I’m so sorry…" Ishimaru finally said. He was just as red as Mondo, but there were tears welling up in his eyes. "Mondo, I’m really sorry, I-"

"H-hey, ya didn’t do anythin’, I-"

"It’s really late!" Ishimaru interrupted. “I’m going to bed now! Good night, Mondo!!” He rushed off to his room before Mondo could say anything, leaving him alone to his thoughts. 

Shit, Mondo thought. Why the fuck did I do that? I should’ve asked him, I did that shit without asking him first… what the fuck is wrong with me? 

Little did he know Ishimaru was thinking the same thing. 

* * *

 

They hardly talking to each other for the next week. When Mondo had woken up the next day, Ishimaru had already gotten up and left. And that night, when Ishimaru stood on stage singing, he noticed Mondo was absent. They managed to keep their distance from each other, both of them too afraid to face the other after what had happened. 

By the week’s end, they couldn’t take it anymore. They both found themselves missing each other’s company. They missed saying good morning and good night to one another, watching movies together and even arguing together. 

I’m going to apologize and ask him out properly, Mondo thought, getting on his motorcycle to get to the bar. 

I’m going to apologize and ask him out properly, ishimaru thought, fixing his tie for the show in fifteen minutes. 

When he got on stage for the show, the first thing he noticed was Mondo sitting in the audience, at his usual table, a big bouquet of roses in his hands. He smiled up at the singer, and waved a little. Ishimaru simply nodded in response, knowing it’d be unprofessional to wave back. However, Mondo being there, with a bouquet of roses no less, made his nerves even worse. He barely managed to get through his introduction.

"T-thank you all for being here tonight." He said nervously, his hands gripping onto the microphone stand, as if for dear life. "I will be performing Little Star." 

That was the loudest he could ever remember himself singing. No matter how hard he tried, Ishimaru’s eyes always ended up on Mondo. Mondo was staring back at him, a dreamy smile on his lips. For the first time ever, Ishimaru wasn’t singing for himself. Usually when he was on stage, he reveled in the independence of it all. But tonight, the words he sang were all for Mondo. 

"Cause in the dark of night, you’re all I see…" Ishimaru sang, keeping his focus on Mondo, "and you sure look like a star to me." He waited for the song to fade out, then took a bow. A smile grew on his face when he heard Mondo’s loud cheering along with the usual polite clapping. It was then that Ishimaru realized that his whole situation, being a singer at a boring old bar, really wasn’t as bad as he thought it was. Sure, he wasn’t famous, and didn’t have hordes of fans following him around. But maybe he didn’t need a huge fanbase screaming his name to live happily. Maybe all he needed was the love from one obnoxious, sloppy, irresponsible and overall wonderful fan.

 

 


End file.
